Calif. gov. signs bill promoting LGBT online community, potentially connecting kids with predators
October 22, 2025
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a measure that mandates that student ID cards for public middle schools, high schools and colleges include contact information for The Trevor Project, an LGBT activist group and suicide prevention organization.
The Christian Post reports that AB 727, which was signed on World Mental Health Day, could expose LGBT-identified youth to online predators.
Opponents of the new law warn that while the TrevorSpace online platform and the bill are supposed to support mental health, they could also put children at risk due to inadequate age verification and moderation.
The legislation builds on California’s 2018 suicide prevention ID card law by adding The Trevor Project’s hotline number to student IDs, in order to ensure that students have immediate access to crisis support.
Governor Newsom said, “Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen for who they are. While some in Washington turn their backs on [LGBT-identified] youth, California is choosing compassion over cruelty.”
According to the Christian Post, critics of the new law, including the California Family Council, law enforcement, and educators, say that the platform’s lack of strong age verification and limited moderation creates risks for exploitation.
Brenda Lebsack, a Santa Ana Unified School District trustee, warns, “I saw with my own eyes that Trevor Project is putting kids in harm’s way through TrevorSpace by connecting minors with unfettered random adults on an international virtual platform to explore their genders and sexualities, and this is dangerous for our most vulnerable kids who identify as [LGBT-identified].”
California Family Council Vice President Greg Burt, described the need for officials to act quickly to protect minors, saying, “True compassion never exposes children to harm. Our government is telling hurting kids that their feelings define reality, while sending them into online spaces where predators are waiting.”
Photo: top, Credit: Courtesy of California Governor’s Office